20100315 Transumerism - A New Consumer Experience(1)

Transumerism - A New Consumer Experience

Consumers become transumers to reduce the hassle of ownership

Purchasing and possessing things used to be the consumer's way of life. People looked for quality and durability in what they bought. But hurried, more mobile lives and a lagging global economy have helped usher in a new brand of consumers with different attitudes toward spending.

"Less about treasure and more about pleasure"
"Transumers," a term coined by business consulting agency Fitch in 2003, refers to consumers who are motivated by experiencing something rather than owning it. They would rather use things for a short while and then move on to something new,
and not deal with maintenance and repairs.


Leasing rather than owning
These days anything from designer handbags, clothes and jewelry to planes and luxury cars can be leased. The benefits include leasing items for a special event and then returning them without paying full price.

Selling and buying at auctions
Auction sites like eBay have made purchasing used belongings popular. Nowadays, before buying anything new, transumers consider how much they will get for an item when they're through with it.

Sharing rather than hoarding
Over 6 million people worldwide have discovered Freecycle, the online site where people offer and receive items for free! This lets transumers feel good about helping the environment and recycling. For transumers, their way of life means less clutter in the home and more cash in the pocket!



usher v. 引導/引領
usher in something 領進/引進...
=> signal the beginning of something new
eg: The factory's new owner wants to usher in the most advanced machines.
=> 這個工廠的 新老板想要引進最先進的機器。
eg: This scientist's findings ushered in a new era of biochemistry.
=> 這位科學家的發現開啟了生化科學的一個新紀元。

rent 租賃 (長短不拘)
lease v. 租賃 (較長期)
eg: lease an apartment 租公寓
eg: We decided to lease a car rather than buying one because it's more economical.
=> 我們決定要租車而不是買車，因為這樣比較經濟.
eg: Nick rented a tuxedo for this evening's banquet.
=> Nick租了一套燕尾服要參加今晚晚宴。

hoard v. 隱藏/囤積
eg: The merchants were sued for hoarding food after the flooding.
=> 這些商人因在水災後囤積糧食而被控告。
eg: In the classic novel A Christmas Carol, Mr. Scroage hoards his wealth all to himself.
=> 在經典小說小氣財神中，Scroage先生光為自己囤積了財富。


hassle n. 麻煩/困難/問題

durability n. 耐久性
=> the ability to last a long time

coin
=> make

repair v. 修理/修補
=> fix

auction n. 拍賣

clutter n. 凌亂


//== Chat room ==//

coin v. 製造錢幣

coin a word 製造出一個新的字
coin a phrase 製造出一個片語/使用雙關語
eg: Twenty local musicians have banded together to form a band.

pun n. 雙關語/俏皮話

two sides of the same coin 一體的兩面


//== More Information ==//

If you need it aut don't want to buy it, Don't worry - you can rent it! Today - you can lease almost anything. For example, "Wear Today, "Gone Tomorrow," is a designer clothing shop which rents a $495 Vera Wang dress for $49 a week. The latest in cell phones can be leased from Rentabile. Even pets can be rented for a day. Resort guests in Aspen Colorado need smiply contact the people at "Rent-a-Pet".


//== Grammar on the Go ==//

Nowadays, before buying anything new, transumers consider
how much they will get for an item when they're through with it.
=> Nowadays, before buying anything new, transumers consider
how much they will get for an item when they're finished with it.

through
=> 本課課文的意思為finished

(1) 如果你想和朋友借書，但是你不知道他看完了沒，你可以問他
=> Are you through with the book?
(2) 如果你很不喜歡一個工作且想要辭職，你可以說
=> I'm through with this job!



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through
=> going in and then out of something
eg: The train went through the tunnel.